


Second Chance at Something Special

by heartsdesire456



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Recovering, Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Humor, M/M, Modeling, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 01:58:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3792322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bucky accompanies Steve and the other Avengers to a photo shoot, he never expected him and Clint goofing off would end up kick-starting a whole new path for his future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Chance at Something Special

**Author's Note:**

> This started as "I want Clint and Bucky being bros" but it somehow turned into Bucky becoming a model... idek. lol.
> 
> Bonus! There's a link in there to a mock-up of Bucky's interview near the end. Don't miss that link!

Steve handed Bucky a beer then sat beside him on the piano bench. He smirked at Clint. “I gotta get ‘em drunk so he’ll play for me.”

Bucky winked, taking a swig of his beer. “Learned that cause it’s the only way he got me to do bad shit when we were kids.” He turned to look at Steve. “Also, if I remember correctly, we were drunk as shit the first time we had sex.”

Steve snickered into his own bottle. “I wouldn’t know, I can’t remember anything other than flashes of what you looked like on your knees,” he said and Clint gaped.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, you got drunk and fucked your best friend?!” he asked Steve in surprise.

Natasha nudged him. “Hey, I wasn’t drunk when I fucked you that one time,” she said and Clint rolled his eyes.

“We were just two kids scared shitless and on our own, didn’t need to be drunk to make bad choices,” he said, then gestured to Steve and Bucky. “Something tells me there’s a story to that other than ‘Barnes on his knees’,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Bucky grinned, leaning against Steve. “Hell yeah. We were about sixteen and seventeen, first time we got good and really hammered, you know? Went to this bar with this guy from the neighborhood, promised to buy us some good shit since he lost a bet to Steve, and we were sooo drunk so fast.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Mrs. Sarah was at work that night when I walked Stevie home and we were gonna sleep it off there anyways, but it was real hot and when I took off my shirt and started splashing water on myself to cool off, Steve kinda just jumped me.”

Steve grinned sheepishly. “Well, I’d only been in love with you since I was too little to know what it was. You can’t tempt a fella for ten years and then get naked in front of him while he’s drunk, Buck. I was bound to make a pass at ya.”

“Hey, did you hear me complainin’?” he asked, leaning over to kiss Steve’s jaw.

Steve turned and met his lips, smiling after kissing him. “Yeah, when I was taking too long getting your belt off,” he teased. He turned to Clint with a filthy leer. “Bucky got sick of me taking so long and just dropped to his knees and su-“

“Okay, don’t need those details!” Natasha cried, making a face. “Ew, Rogers, I don’t wanna hear about anything involving your dick-“

Bucky cut in. “He was ninety-five pounds and a third of it was his dick!” 

Steve spluttered. “BUCKY!” Clint burst out laughing and Natasha raised an eyebrow at Steve, who flushed bright red. “Oh my God,” he groaned, covering his eyes.

“Just true, Doll,” Bucky purred, reaching down and grabbing his crotch. Steve yelped and slapped his hand.

“Hey! Do not grope me in public-“

“Whaaat? First time you sucked me off was in an alley behind the bakery,” he argued, cackling at the redder Steve got. “Fucking scraped your knees and I had to bandage you up when we got home and I bitched at you for being too impatient to wait until we got home.”

Steve laughed, covering his face. “You see?!” he pointed at Clint. “Who the hell gets pissed at somebody blowing them?”

Clint made a dramatic face. “I dunno. Dude was in love with you and you nearly died every other week the way he tells it.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Steve denied, waving a hand.

Bucky scoffed. “Hell yeah it was, Steve,” he argued. “You almost died twice,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “That _year_.” He kissed his cheek again. “Whatever, it’s all good. I get the official title of ‘Captain America’s First’ either way,” he teased. He downed the rest of his beer and turned to the keys. “Alright, Punk. Whataya want?” 

Steve rolled his eyes. “First off, stop calling me Captain America, I hate when you do that.” He smiled at him, looking at him with a warm expression. “Play the song my mother taught you when she was teaching me to dance.”

Bucky smiled and nodded. “Sure thing, Punk.” He started to play, and Steve wasn’t the only one to watch him with a happy expression. Natasha nudged Clint and nodded towards them and Clint grinned, leaning his head over on her shoulder. They all loved seeing how much of a recovery Bucky had made and how happy Steve was to have him back every single day.

“This one time, I killed a man with the strings of a piano,” Natasha said suddenly. “Cut out a length of the wire and strangled him with it.”

Clint grinned. “I once killed a guy slingshot and a bouncy ball at a toy store.”

“That’s nothing,” Bucky scoffed, looking up while still playing. “I killed a guy with thirty-seven cent,” he said, wiggling his eyebrow. “Quarter, dime, and two pennies.”

“I made a shank out of paper when I was in Juvie,” Clint countered and Bucky nodded, looking impressed.

“I shot a drone down with fireworks a few years ago. Bottle rocket took out a CIA drone that was pissing off the Russians.”

“When we were kids, Bucky one knocked a guy out with a really hard piece of bread,” Steve offered and Bucky grinned.

“Oh yeah! Lee Miller! I remember that jerk,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Tried to fuckin’ scare you into an asthma attack after he found out that could happen. I tried to kill him a few years later, but your Ma stopped me,” he said and Steve rolled his eyes.

“That’s nothing! I tried to stab my brother with a soup can lid,” Clint said. “He tried to sell me into prostitution when he was high once. Thought I was somebody else.”

Steve and Bucky both gaped. “Man, that’s fucked up,” Bucky said, shaking his head. He hummed, having not stopped playing the whole time. “I successfully assassinated a prime minister somewhere in Eastern Europe with cufflinks once, I think.”

Clint smirked. “My Super Secret Husband took out robbers with a bag of flour.”

“Shut up, he did not,” Bucky said, looking impressed. “Also, you’re married to a man?” he asked, looking impressed. “I’d have never guessed.”

Clint nodded. “He’s sooo jealous I hang out with you and Steve,” he said with an amused smirk.

Steve suddenly looked up, eyes wide. “Oh my God, it’s that creep that admitted to watching me sleep, isn’t it?!” 

Natasha barked out a laugh and nodded gleefully. “Yep!”

Bucky gave him a look. “Watched you sleep, huh?” he asked, and Steve rolled his eyes.

“Don’t get jealous, I was unconscious.” He looked at Clint suspiciously. “Thought he was dead.”

“Oh he was, but then they fixed him,” Clint said simply. “Weirder shit’s happened. He’s actually in some trouble so I haven’t seen him in a few weeks, but when he’s done being on the run, he’ll be stopping by here. You can laugh at him blushing every time you are in the room, if you want!”

Bucky hummed. “Do I get to threaten him to stop staring at Stevie’s ass?”

“Sure!” Clint said brightly. “We’ve only been married like three months, so I’m allowed to pretend to be jealous still.” He gave a sappy smile. “I know better though. With the past twenty years of complications between us, I’m more than sure about us now.”

Steve whistled. “Whoa, twenty years?”

Clint nodded and Natasha snorted. “SHIELD picked Clint up when he was seventeen. He had the hots for Coulson from the start. They kept doing this ‘best friends but almost more’ thing on and off and they’d get upset with each other and stop talking apart from work and at one point Clint married somebody just to spite Coulson and ended up married for a year, then he and Coulson fucked and Clint’s wife divorced him for it, and then they were almost together when Coulson met this woman that made him see hearts and butterflies and sorta forgot about Clint, and then the Loki thing happened, and then after he came back, Coulson found Clint and they got together finally.”

Clint nodded. “Our whole relationship since we met has been like a soap opera. But it’s all good. I’ve loved him most of my life and we’re married now. It’s all good.”

Bucky smirked at Steve. “Man, and I thought ours was complicated cause you almost cheated on me with Peggy and then I was turned evil for seventy years.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “I did not almost cheat on you-“

“Stevie, you were smitten with her-“

“Yeah, but I’d have never ACTED on it-“

“You kissed her-“

“She kissed me and you were DEAD!”

“You really expect me to believe all that time you never kissed her?”

“No! I mean that secretary kissed me and I let her, but that was cause I panicked and didn’t know what to do-“

Bucky stopped playing abruptly and turned to narrow his eyes at Steve. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what secretary?!”

“SHE KISSED ME-“

Natasha looked at Clint and smirked. “Our lives are so complicated in this family, huh?”

Clint nodded, pressing a kiss to her hair. “Definitely.”

Bucky huffed but curled his hand around the back of Steve’s neck and pulled him into a kiss, shutting up his babbling. “Look, you jackass,” he said. “I was just reveling in us not having a complicated relationship. Don’t make things complicated unnecessarily.” He narrowed his eyes at Steve. “Besides, lovin’ you’s the easiest thing about my life.”

Steve’s eyes went wide and he positively melted as a smile crossed his face. “ _Buck_ ,” he breathed and Natasha mimed gagging.

“Ew, don’t get sappy now- oh great, now they’re making out,” she said, and Clint cackled at the sounds Steve made when Bucky kissed him. She made a face. “I’m not like that, am I?” she asked, and Clint shrugged.

“Not really your style. I’ve never seen you kiss somebody you’re dating and I’m your best friend,” he said and then nodded at them. “They’re weird and sappy.”

Bucky pulled away from Steve and shot Clint a glare. “We fuckin’ get to be weird and sappy, we struggled to get here. We survived a goddamn Depression-“

“Your ‘I’m a poor old man’ things don’t work on me anymore,” Clint argued. “Ever since I realized Steve blushing while reading texts was you sexting, I don’t fall for the ‘just an old grandpa struggling in this future’ shit.”

Steve gasped, ears turning red. “YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!”

Clint smirked. “Yup. And man, I never guessed you’d be one to say ‘you better not come home wearing that mask because the only thing that should be sitting on your face is me’-“

“I DIDN’T- HE- THAT-“ Steve squeaked and stood up quickly, bright red all the way down his neck. “Oh my God!” he gasped as he walked out of the room in a rush.

Natasha just stared in shock at Bucky, who winked with a filthy little smirk. “My sex life was always pretty good, but super-soldier stamina makes things even better.” He stood up and wiggled his eyebrows at them both as he left the room, beer dangling from his fingers as he went.

~

Steve was chopping up strawberries to help Pepper and Bruce make breakfast when Bucky came in singing and dancing along to his iPod with a laughing Sam following him. “Yo, Steve, your boy’s crazy,” he laughed, shaking his head when Bucky danced around the table, shaking his hips. “Also, whoever got him into teeny pop music needs to be shot.”

Bucky came up behind Steve and grabbed his hips, pressing against his back. “Baby tell me why, tell me why you do me wroonng,” he sang, grinding against Steve as he pressed a kiss to his neck.

Steve jerked his shoulder in surprise, laughing. “Bucky!” He snorted when Bucky pulled him away from the counter, making Steve move with him. “Bucky, I can’t dance, stop,” he said, half-heartedly rolling his hips along with Bucky’s.

“Lies,” Bucky said, plucking an earbud out as he stood on his toes and smacked a kiss to Steve’s cheek. “And shut up about my music, Wilson,” he said, glaring over his shoulder. “Besides, this kid’s really hot,” he said, winking.

“Yeah, and about twenty-one,” Sam said and Bucky shrugged, stealing a strawberry to pop in his mouth.

“And? I’m like thirty-one in real years. Not that weird.” He hopped on the counter beside Steve, accepting the ponytail holder Steve had on his wrist. “Thanks, Doll.”

“If I didn’t carry them, you’d never remember to put your hair up,” Steve said, smiling as Bucky pulled his hair back into a ponytail, a few wavy strands hanging around his face. “Sexy,” he said with a wink, leaning in to kiss Bucky slowly. “Mmm morning, Buck.”

Bucky sighed when Steve pulled away and turned back to cutting up strawberries. “It is a good morning. Never thought there’d be a day I’d be happy that it’s nine and I’ve already had sex and been to the gym and still not had any coffee,” he said and Steve rolled his eyes, even though his ears turned a little pink as Pepper gave him an amused smirk.

“Shut it,” he grumbled. “Like we don’t all hear about your sex life all the time,” he said and Pepper chuckled.

“Hey, at my age, I’m just glad I’m getting any so I’m not at all ashamed of you all knowing,” she joked.

Bucky scoffed. “Oh please, a gorgeous lady like you? Your age my ass. You don’t look a day over thirty!”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she said with a wink his way.

Bucky smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. “Oh, Pepper, if only I were a single man,” he said with a dramatic sigh. Steve cleared his throat, giving Bucky a ‘oh really’ look. Bucky gave him an innocent grin. “Aww, Stevie, you know there’s nobody else for me but you-“

“Yeah, yeah. And you thought I’m the one that cheated on you,” he teased and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Steve, she’s skinny, blonde-enough, has freckles, and big blue eyes. Trust me, if you weren’t around, I’d be getting rid of Stark to put the moves on Pepper,” he said, then gave Pepper an apologetic look. “Not that you’re not a great friend, I definitely don’t just secretly stare at you or anything,” he reassured her and she laughed out loud.

“Oh Bucky, I know that.” She glanced at Steve. “Sooo, you got that specific of a type, huh?”

Bucky gave Steve an appraising look and sighed. “Damn straight I do. Even all big like he is now, he’s still got the tiniest waist,” he practically sighed. “Blondes with blue eyes and little waists do it for me. The muscles are hot, too, but I was already in love with him for good by then. And when we were young, I thought he was gorgeous when he was ninety pounds soaking wet cause of that little waist, big blue eyes, pale skin, and hair like an angel.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “You’re the only person ever to exist that thought I was gorgeous like that.”

“Good,” Bucky said, reaching out with his foot to hook his ankle around Steve’s leg. “Nobody stole you from me.” He shook his head. “Not true, though. Once, Tommy Gambino realized me ‘n you were queers and turns out he sold boys to old perverts. Tried to buy you from me, then threatened to tell people if I didn’t bring you to him.” 

Steve dropped his knife, turning to stare at Bucky. “Buck… Tommy Gambino the one that they fished out of the river?”

Bucky shrugged. “I might’ve told some fellas with a grudge where he’d asked me to meet him with you. He expected to get a little blonde boy to sell, instead the Puerto Ricans showed up armed.”

Bruce looked at Bucky in alarm, then at Steve. “Sooo moral of this story is you don’t fuck with you, huh, Steve?”

Steve looked at Bucky and shook his head. “I can’t believe you got somebody _killed_ over me,” he said slowly. “That’s… kinda scary, Bucky.”

Bucky shrugged. “I didn’t know they’d kill him. But I wasn’t all that busted up when they did. Guy sold teenage boys into sex slavery.” He made a disgusted face. “Fucker said you were ‘the right size’ even if you were too old, because you couldn’t fight back.”

Steve shuddered. “Jesus. When was that? I don’t remember when they found him in the river.”

“You were nineteen,” Bucky said, shrugging. “Guess he thought I’d lie to your Ma about you disappearing. Still don’t know how he figured us out.”

Bruce snorted. “Oh please, if you made the same eyes at Steve then as you do now, anybody that wasn’t so set in their ‘everybody’s heterosexual’ ways – like a guy selling boys to rich men – would know what was up.”

Steve gave him a sly look. “You do give me the eyes, Buck,” he teased and Bucky held up a fist.

“I’ll give you a black eye, Punk,” he threatened playfully.

Steve left his chopping fruit to go step in the V of Bucky’s legs and slide his hands around his back. “Oh yeah? You’re gonna give me a black eye? Last time you did that we were trying a weird sex position and you slipped-“

“That’s still your fault,” Bucky said, cracking up into a giggle fit. “Knew I wouldn’t bend like that, not my fault I kicked you in the face, you dirty bastard,” he teased, leaning in to kiss Steve sweetly.

“Mmmm, but you looked so hot with your feet behind your head,” he purred, trailing kisses from Bucky’s lips to his ear. He nipped at Bucky’s earlobe and Bucky jerked, kicking the cabinet with a loud bang as he gasped.

“Shit, Stevie, not in public,” he breathed, pushing at him until he backed up. 

Steve gave him a smirk, sliding his fingertips under Bucky’s shirt, stroking at his abs. “You got a big name in the Italian mob killed over me eighty years ago and never told me.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Getting a mob boss murdered by Puerto Ricans makes you hot?”

Steve leaned in, nipping at Bucky’s jaw. “Never liked people who did bad things and enjoyed it. They’d have sold me to some pervert that raped me and kept me in a cellar for later, but you got him knocked off instead.”

Bucky chuckled low in his throat, catching Steve’s lips in a kiss. “You’re such a freak, Punk,” he purred, wrapping his legs around Steve. “My freak, though.” Steve snorted and hugged Bucky, laying his head on Bucky’s shoulder as they just held onto each other for a minute. Bucky pressed his face against Steve’s hair and sighed. 

“Sooo are you gonna make out or cuddle? If neither, can Steve get back to cutting up strawberries? I’m about to mix another batch of pancakes,” Bruce called, sounding amused.

Steve pulled back, giving him a sheepish grin. “Sorry, got distracted,” he said, going to grab his knife again.

Bucky made a grumpy sound. “Nooo come back.” He slid off the counter and curled his arms around Steve from behind, laying his head on his shoulder, pressing his face against Steve’s neck.

Sam made a face. “Did you just sniff him?” he asked, and Bucky shrugged.

“He smells good. Always has.” He lifted his head from Steve’s shoulder and dug his fingers into Steve’s ribs, making him yelp out a laugh and jerk away, shoving Bucky off of him with a playful glare. Bucky sighed and walked past them all to the refrigerator, digging out some water. 

Sam snorted. “You’re a freak, Barnes. Smells good, who the hell goes around sniffing people?” he asked incredulously.

“I dunno,” Pepper said, shaking her head. “I get it. I’ve got used to coconut and metal since that’s what Tony smells like. Not such a bad smell.”

“It’s actually a good thing,” Bruce piped up. He nodded at Bucky. “Liking the way somebody smells is a pheromone thing. Smell is the one sense that’s most hardwired to your brain. A lot of the time scents connect to memories more than anything else. Olfactory synapses in the brain are really powerful, so when you meet someone that you like how they smell, you’re more biologically suited to that person. It all goes back to basic mammalian biology. If someone smells good to you, you’re more drawn to them.” He shrugged. “Love is just brain chemicals, and nothing’s more basic than olfactory compatibility.”

Steve snickered. “Hear that, Bucky? I don’t really love you, I just like how you smell and got used to you,” he teased and Bucky flipped him off.

“You better love me, Punk. I’ve put up with your stupidity for far too long for anything less,” he said, and Steve smirked.

“Never know, maybe I just like your pretty face, Barnes,” he teased and Bucky laughed.

“You’ve been around much prettier faces with way less bullshit by now,” he said and Steve sighed dramatically.

“Very true.” He looked over at Sam. “Hey Sam, you’re hot, wanna be my boyfriend if I dump Bucky?” he asked and Sam gave him a flat look.

“Yeah, I wanna date some dumbass white boy with a serious death wish, not any of the gorgeous women in this city that don’t regularly jump out of planes without parachutes,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Steve sighed, giving Bucky a shrug. “Oh well, guess I’ll just keep you. I’ve got used to you and all,” he said and Bucky rolled his eyes with a snort.

“You’re such a punk,” he said, drawing closer to smack a kiss to Steve’s cheek. “I’m gonna go take my meds, you better have me some pancakes when I get back,” he said, drawing away with a small smile cast Steve’s way before he left the way he came.

~

The way Steve slowly lifted himself from Bucky only to drop down, taking him deep inside, felt incredible. He moaned as he fought the urge to speed up every time Bucky’s cock nudged that spot inside him that made him see stars. There was no need to rush, nobody expected them out of bed for another two hours, and Steve couldn’t think of a better way to start a morning than slow, torturously good sex.

“I should get a job.”

Steve groaned, but not from pleasure, as he looked down at Bucky. “Seriously? That’s what you’re thinking about right now?” he asked, panting slightly as he refused to stop riding Bucky. “A job?” he asked, clenching around Bucky slightly.

Bucky’s breath hitched and he licked his lips, pressing back into the pillows. “Think they’d let me? I mean, who would wanna hire me? Not exactly stellar qualifications and job history-“

Steve pinched Bucky’s nipple, startling a gasp out of him and, more importantly, catching his attention. “Seriously? I’m on your dick right now and you’re thinking about _job history_?” he demanded, still moving in spite of his annoyance. He was still enjoying it too much to stop.

“It’s called multitasking, Steven,” Bucky said petulantly, earning a narrowed glare. “What? I’m serious, I could get a job doing something. That way I’m not always in everybody’s hair around here-“

“Okay seriously,” Steve said, leaning forward far enough to loom over Bucky, hands on his chest. “Am I just not doing it for you today? Is that what’s going on? Because I’m pretty sure normal people don’t have conversations while they’re fucking.”

Bucky snorted. “Stevie, c’mon, we’ve had sex hundreds if not thousands of times in our lives-“

“Oh my God, fine.” Steve climbed off of Bucky. “I can take a hint-“

“Come _on_.” Bucky grabbed Steve and yanked until he fell onto the bed with a bounce, then rolled them over, pinning Steve down. “Fine, fine, I’m sorry for my mind wandering.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Seriously, if you don’t want to have sex, just say it,” Steve said, looking up at Bucky with a little shrug.

Bucky smirked. “Doll, you know I love you-“

“I’m not fragile enough to think not being in the mood means you don’t love me, Buck, I’m serious,” Steve huffed. “If you’re bored enough to think about something other than you _inside of me_ , clearly you’re just not feelin’ it today.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes playfully. “You’re gonna be feelin’ it, Punk,” he growled flirtatiously as he shifted between Steve’s legs and slid home in one stroke, a long-practiced move that made it clear just how they had perfected their bodies together.

Steve shuddered at the sudden intrusion but let his eyes roll shut, relaxing into the feeling. “Mmmm, that a promise, Jerk?” he asked and Bucky chuckled low in his throat as he leaned down and stole Steve’s lips in a deep, wet, slow kiss that he then jarred Steve out of with a hard thrust that made him gasp in pleasure.

“You fuckin’ bet it is,” he purred, repeating his slow, languid slide out and a hard, sharp thrust that made Steve see stars. As Bucky started up a teasing yet incredible rhythm of the sort, Steve could only tangled one hand in Bucky’s hair as he sucked, licked, and bit a mark on his throat as he did his best to drive him crazy with pleasure. “Fuuuuuuck, Stevie, you feel so good, Baby.”

Steve panted, eyes flying wide as Bucky’s thrust and bite happened simultaneously. “Not fucking thinking about goddamn job history now, are ya?” he asked, only to cry out when Bucky’s answer was to shift just so and his next thrust had him seeing stars.

There wasn’t any more talk about jobs or anything else other than curses, pleas, and each other’s names for a good while after that.

~

Steve and Bucky shuffled into the kitchen, Steve with a pretty glazed expression and Bucky with a smug look on his face as he walked behind Steve, just before noon. “Wow, what happened to you?” Natasha asked around a donut, watching as Steve grabbed a bottle of water and immediately chugged half of it. “Didn’t see you in the gym this morning.”

Bucky grinned. “He suggested I was bored with him. So then I fucked him senseless, we slept some more, and then now he’s still fuzzy from the shower,” he said shamelessly.

Natasha hummed, nodding. “Yeah, that’ll do it.” She smirked at Steve. “He leave any marks that’ll still be there by about three?”

Steve frowned, blinking. “What? I zoned out.”

Bucky walked over and tugged Steve’s shirt collar and hummed. “Think that’ll still be there by three?” he asked, poking the mark.

Steve shivered, then looked down, trying to see his own collar bone. “Did you give me a hickey?” 

Bucky nodded, leaning in to press a kiss to the spot, making Steve gasp. “Still feel that?” he asked, pulling back with a smirk.

Steve rolled his eyes, blushing some. “Among other things.” He looked at Natasha with a frown. “What’s at three?”

“We’re doing a photoshoot,” she said and Steve groaned.

“Pepper said-“

“We have to.” Natasha shrugged. “I’m no happier than you. I don’t want to go shave my legs, at least you don’t have to do that.”

Steve shrugged. “Just don’t?” he suggested and she made a face.

“I thought about it, but nah. May as well look good if they’re gonna put me in a skirt.” She hopped up, going to put her donut wrapper in the trash. “Oh yeah, Clint’s husband’s around. He brought the donuts.”

Steve perked up. “Coulson’s here? I thought we still weren’t supposed to know he’s alive.”

She shrugged. “I dunno. He and Clint started fighting over something and I figured I’d let them yell at each other before I go demand answers.”

Steve sighed. “They’re gonna want me to take my shirt off,” he whined.

Bucky grinned. “Hey, Doll, can I come with you? I wanna watch them make you take your clothes off. I bet you turn all red and they have to put makeup on you!” he said gleefully.

Steve sighed. “Yes, you can come.”

“Sweet! I gotta go do my hair,” he said, stealing Steve’s half-drunk water and rushing out.

Natasha gave Steve a disbelieving look. “Do his hair?” she asked incredulously and Steve snorted.

“You don’t know him like I do.” He gestured to his own head. “You know that ponytail thing he does? The one he wears when he leaves, not the one he throws it up into when he’s at home. With the little wavy bits hanging down around his ears and face? Yeah, that takes him at least half an hour to perfect.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

Steve nodded. “There’s hairspray involved.” He snickered. “I’m just glad he didn’t wanna cut his hair off and go back to short hair and pomade when he came home. He used to get up an hour before work every morning to do his hair and make sure his shoes were shined.” He gave her a look. “And he worked loading crates from boats to trucks at the dock.”

“Whoa,” she said, eyebrows going up. “Steve. Your boyfriend is a pretty boy.”

“Definitely a pretty boy,” Steve said with a small grin. “But hey, the most handsome guy I’ve ever laid eyes on just sucked my dick in the shower, so I’m just counting myself lucky.”

She made a face. “Don’t wanna think about your dick, Steve,” she said, and Steve smirked.

“You should, it’s great, especially with Bucky’s lips-“

“Noooo!” she complained, covering her ears. Steve just cackled as he left to go see what he could do about the hickey on his collarbone. 

~

Bucky snickered when Steve came back from being put in a grandpa looking cardigan. “Does it hurt to have air between your shirt and your skin?” he teased and Steve rolled his eyes.

“You’d think I’d hate cameras less after a year as a showgirl that time, but nope. Still hate them,” he said sarcastically.

“Yes, yes, now can I have the boys and girls over here, please. Yes.” They turned to see Tony, Clint, and Pepper waiting while Natasha practically dragged Bruce from the changing area. She caught Steve on her way past and Thor followed her, laughing at the reactions of people when they saw Bruce being _dragged_ past them.

Bucky settled on top of a table, only to look to his left when an unfamiliar man in a soft looking gray sweater and jeans leaned against it. He raised an eyebrow when he recognized the ease of readiness in his shoulders, and the way he carried himself. It was clear he was a dangerous man who was shitty at letting down his guard, even when he looked comfortable. “You have to be Clint’s husband,” he said before he could stop himself. The guy gave him a sheepish smile and nodded.

“We haven’t met. I’m Phil,” he said, and Bucky shook his hand, smirking.

“You’re the one that watched Steve sleeping,” he said, cracking up when the guy gave him a mildly panicked look. “It’s cool. I get the appeal,” he said with a wink.

Phil’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. “Oh. I wasn’t aware. You and- Clint hadn’t mentioned-“

“Yes, I’m screwin’ Captain America, yes it’s awesome, yes we were a couple before our respective stints as popsicles,” he said, having heard enough from Clint to know his husband was secretly a massive Captain American fanboy. It was hilarious. He smirked. “And no, I won’t stab you for staring at Steve’s ass. I’m not the jealous type.” He shrugged, looking back at the others. “Besides, I can’t really pass up a good, long look at Clint’s ass either when it’s in my line of sight.”

Phil laughed in surprise, shaking his head. “There was a time I’d have been jealous of that, but hey, he married me. After all the shit we’ve been though, that gives me a good idea of how likely it is somebody checking him out could take him from me.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Oh please. Ever since he told me and Steve about being married, Steve’s always polite and asks about how you’re doing at least once a week and your fella gets all sappy. Nobody’s taking him away from you unless they kill him,” he said bluntly. “He’s a bigger sap than Steve when he starts on his ‘I almost lost you again’ shit.”

Phil gave him a look. “Well, I would say something, but Clint kinda was in the same boat. Thought I was dead for a while. That’s probably why he gets sappy. Same reason Steve does with you.”

“Oh don’t get me wrong, Steve isn’t sappy often,” Bucky said, chortling. “He nags. A lot. Always on about something. ‘S what I get for lovin’ the one person who knows me better than anybody ever did back then. Can’t lie about anything without him knowing and nagging.”

“Oh just wait until you get married. You’d think for how short of a time we’ve been together it would be all honeymoon phase, but nope.” Phil shook his head with an amused smile. “He skipped that and went straight to ‘old married couple’.”

“Yep. Seems like me n’ you got a lot in common, Pal,” Bucky said, giving him a sarcastic little salute. 

“What?! No.” Bucky looked over at where Natasha was standing with her arms crossed, glaring. “No fucking way.”

The photographer tutted. “Darling, if it’s about the breasts, do not worry, I have seen far more breasts than I ever needed to, so have all my assistants. Nobody cares about that.”

“I don’t care about that either, they’re just the way my body fat is distributed, the problem is that I’m the only one you want to put in some weirdly demure shot, and a sexual one with my best friend at that!” she argued, curls bouncing with every angry snap. “You didn’t ask Bruce and Tony to snuggle up to each other shirtless!”

Bucky raised an eyebrow when he heard Phil groan and curse. “This won’t end well.”

“Well I’m sorry, I just assumed you were a couple! And it’s what people like to see, darling!” the photographer said, accent getting thicker the faster he spoke. “The two regular people of the group, and one of them a pretty girl? Who better-“

“No,” she said firmly, turning and walking over to where Thor was having makeup done. “You’re up, cause I’m not doing it,” she said, punching him in the arm on the way past, back to the changing room.

“Miss, wait! We need to do SOMETHING with you!” the photographer cried, rushing after her. “I RETURN SOON!” he called to the rest of them, running after Natasha.

Clint rolled his eyes and came over to Bucky and Phil, still shirtless. “Natasha’s gonna kill him,” he said and Phil groaned.

“But I’m on vacation,” he said with a sad little look.

Clint shrugged apologetically and poked him in the middle. “Sorry, Honey. You’re the best at defusing a pissed off Natasha,” he said, leaning on to steal a kiss before letting Phil leave to go try and stop the imminent bloodshed. 

Bucky gave Clint a flirty smirk. “I’ll get naked with you,” he said with a dramatic flutter of his eyelashes.

Clint laughed and flexed as he stretched, purposefully doing as much as he could to seem overly sexual. “I don’t know why she’s complaining.” He sidled up to Bucky, putting a hand on either side of his hips. “She’s never gonna get that close to a man half as hot as me ever again.”

Bucky snorted, unable to keep up the joke. “Oh please, I’ve seen her flying tackle Steve in his boxers. She’s been a lot closer to a lot hotter of a guy-“

“Says you, you’re biased,” Clint said dismissively. 

Bucky snickered and shifted to wrap his legs around Clint, flirtatiously sliding his arms to rest on Clint’s shoulders, hands dangling behind his neck. “What’d they want you to do with her, anyways?”

Clint snorted. “They wanted us both topless and in our jeans, her in front of me looking like down and to the side and doing the whole sexy ‘look up through your bangs’ thing at the camera and me beside her with my arm across her chest to block her nipples, looking down at her face all sexually,” he said and Bucky barked out a laugh.

“That sounds so fuckin’ dumb,” he unhooked his legs and slid off the table, moving to stand the way Clint described, looking at him through his eyelashes, though he was a bit taller than Clint so it wasn’t as much ‘looking up’. He put on a dramatically breathy voice. “Oh my, if you don’t put your arm across my chest, they’ll see my boobs, oh no!”

Clint snorted, throwing his head back as he did what Bucky said, hand on his opposite shoulder. “Never fear, Barnes, your boobs are safe with me,” he managed between giggles, and Bucky put on an even more dramatic face.

“You shouldn’t laugh, you’ll offend my delicate sensibilities! This is supposed to be sexy, Big Strong Man, not funny!” Clint nearly fell over he laughed so hard in reply, unable to even pretend to play along. “I’m serious, keep this up and I may not put out,” Bucky continued in his breathy ‘girl’ voice. He made a sultry face, with hooded eyes and a flirty twist to his lips. “I’ll make you feel things you never felt before, Baby, you won’t know what hit you.”

“Oh my goodness!” Bucky looked away from Clint’s face, tear-streaked from laughter, only to see the photographer looking like he was so excited he might pee himself as he looked at them. “THAT! My God, you have the face of a devil hidden within an angel!” He rushed over and dragged Bucky and Clint by the arms, one in each hand, and pulled them over to the makeup station. “Veronica, you must get this one ready! I have to put them together!”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “I’m not an Avenger, Sir-“

“So?! We use models in many photoshoots with the celebrities! If Miss Romanov will not pose with Mr. Barton, we will use a model like you!” he said excitedly.

Bucky frowned. “But… I’m not a model.”

“WELL YOU SHOULD BE!” the little man practically screamed at him, so excited his voice reached an alarming level. “Your friend is a good model as it is, you will make him look amazing!”

Clint gave him a confused smile. “Uh, you’re now posing me in a sensual manner with another man?”

The photographer rolled his eyes, shoulders heaving dramatically as he put his hands on his hips. “I see you kissing the old man in the corner, your sugar daddy, no? Clearly you have no problems with men touching you all over, it will work well to so the human side of super heroes, which is the entire point of this article they write about you!” 

Clint smiled and shrugged. “Hey, I’m down! Nothin’ like fuckin’ with the people who will flip their lids when they get the hint that one of their ‘mighty heroes’ is gay as hell!”

Bucky gave him a smirk. “You know they do recognize me, right? After the whole ‘will he be held accountable for DC and charged with terrorism’ thing, everybody saw what Bucky Barnes looks like now. If we do this, they’re gonna think you hooked up with a terrorist that got special treatment cause of who his best friend was.”

“Even better!” Clint said brightly. “They paint me like the ‘bad boy’ as it is! Nothing says ‘bad boy’ better than shacking up with the Winter Soldier!”

“Okay, so wait, what exactly is going on now?” Tony asked, coming from the other side of the room with the others, clearly too curious to not come over and ask. “Why are we putting makeup on Frosty here?”

Clint gave him a devilish smirk. “Apparently Bucky’s an excellent model and since Tasha won’t get naked with me, he is!”

Steve frowned. “But… people will recognize him.”

“Exactly! Nothin’ plays up the ‘bad boy’ thing like posing topless with a guy half the world thinks is a terrorist we let free!” Clint said brightly. “And hey, now they’ll at least get the hint that one of the Avengers is as queer as the day is long! Bonus.”

Bruce chortled, looking amused. “Oh if only they knew about Steve and Bucky as well.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “If they ask you in the interview later, you better not try and claim you and Bucky are a thing,” Steve said begrudgingly. “I don’t wanna get seen holding his hand somewhere and have people hounding me about making trouble in the team by stealing your man or some shit.”

“Hey, that’s fine,” Clint said with a shrug. “I mean if anybody asks, I’m gonna say I’m married anyways. I can’t say who to, but I’ll damn sure correct them if they think it’s Bucky just because he’s a good model.” He made a face at Bucky. “Not my type. Too young.”

Bucky smirked, even though it got him poked in the cheek with the handle of the makeup brush the lady was wielding. “Trust me, we know. Your husband is ‘that old man’,” he teased.

“That old man could kick your Robocop ass,” Clint warned, earning an amused chuckle from his husband.

“Alright, off with the shirt!” the photographer said to Bucky after the makeup woman let him out of the chair.

He played with the hem of his shirt, hesitating. “You sure? It’s not pretty. I’m a mess of scars.”

He flapped his hand. “Yes, yes the photo retouching will fix any imperfections no matter what, it does not matter.”

Bucky shrugged and pulled his shirt off. The photographer guided him and Clint over and pulled Bucky’s belt off tugging at his jeans a bit until they slid _low_ on his hips. “Any lower and you’ll be photoshopping out my dick, Man,” he said and the photographer shrugged.

“Genitalia is no bother, just make the pose we want, from the side and looking very demure, darling!” he directed and Bucky grinned at Clint who came up beside him, reaching across his chest to put his hand on Bucky’s metal shoulder. He looked down at his hand and barely repressed a laugh.

“When did you get Steve’s shield painted over the star? I haven’t seen that.”

Bucky shrugged lightly. “I don’t wear tank tops or go shirtless that often. It’s been a while back now.”

“I like it. Phil’s got the same tattoo,” he said, earning a throat cleared from his husband off on the other side of the room.

“Clint.”

Clint smirked, glancing his way. “Oh, Honey, you know I’ll never stop telling him how much of a nerd you are for his boyfriend-“

“I can still divorce you,” Phil warned and Bucky winked his way.

“I done told you, Man, I get it, and it’s all good. You check out mine, I’ll check out yours, we’ll call it even,” he teased.

Clint gave him a flirty wink. “Anytime, Babe.”

“Attention, please, boys!” the photographer directed, coming to them with his camera. “We need to begin!”

Bucky turned to Clint and smirked. “Ready when you are.”

When they turned back, getting into position again, the rapid clicks of the camera drowned out the others talking.

~

“Jesus.” Steve put down the magazine, looking over at Bucky, who was in pajamas and a baggy shirt, his hair frizzy and all over the place to the point the ends nearly dipped into the cereal he was eating sleepily.

“I know, right?” Natasha asked, snatching the magazine back. She looked at Bucky, then at the photo. “It’s freaky.”

“Will you finally tell me what you’re talking about?” Bucky asked grumpily.

Pepper leaned over Natasha and snatched the magazine, holding it out to Bucky. “They mean how photogenic you are. You’re even more attractive as a model, and you’re already a handsome man.”

Bucky took the magazine and hummed, looking over the spread, spotting the photo with him and Clint in it. “’S just photoshop,” he said with a shrug. “Look at Clint. They made him more slender than stocky.”

“No, your face isn’t photoshopped,” Steve said, shaking his head. “That’s just… good lighting and a great angle.”

Bucky grinned. “Sayin’ I’m ugly in real life?” he asked and Steve rolled his eyes.

“Definitely. Your face hurts to look at,” he said flatly, then gave him a sweet little smile. “Buck, you’re always the most handsome man I know, but wow. You photograph well.”

Bucky gave him a smile. “Not as gorgeous as you, Punk,” he said affectionately, making Steve’s face twist into something sappy.

Pepper made a face and Natasha mimed gagging. “Jesus, I’m glad Tony never gets all sappy like that with me. I’ll take a pain in the ass over the soppy puppy eyes any day,” she said, going back to the coffee pot to pour herself some.

Bucky smirked. “You’re missing out, ladies. Nothing feels as nice as being obnoxiously sweet with your guy.” He paused. “Well, except screwin’ the living daylights out of your guy, that feels a little better, but that’s not the point.”

Natasha gave him a wicked grin. “What, you two don’t do the whole sappy ‘making love’ thing? I figured Steve’s one that cries during sex,” she teased, making Steve glare at her.

“I do not _cry_ during sex!”

“You cry at everything else!” she countered and he huffed.

Bucky snickered. “Well there was that one time…” he trailed off and Steve flushed, glaring at him.

“Hey, that doesn’t count!”

“You cried and sex was happening, it totally counts-“

“YOU WERE CRYING TOO!” Steve defended and Bucky scoffed.

“Oh please, that was sweat running in my eyes-“

“Liar.”

“So’re you!” Bucky defended and Steve gave a derisive snort.

“I am not lying, you are-“

“You’re gonna be lying on the _ground_ in a minute, Punk,” Bucky threatened playfully, making a fist at him.

Steve just broke and full on _giggled_. “I’d love to see you punch me for real. You’d probably break down and cry cause you gave me a black eye.”

“Of course I would. I haven’t punched you for real since you were twelve years old – not of my own free will anyways – and I sure as hell ain’t gonna do it again after I nearly killed you that day,” Bucky said matter-of-factly.

“No, really,” Steve said, holding his arms out. “Just one time. Punch me for real. I wanna see how hard you can hit.”

Bucky glared. “No fuckin’ way, Steve.”

Steve shook his head. “I won’t get mad, Buck. With your right arm, you can’t break anything with it, so you won’t knock my teeth in or something. Just one time-“

“No,” Bucky said again. “I was just joking around, Steve. I’m not gonna _hit_ you.”

“Thor has hit me before, Bucky, I’ll be fine. I’m curious now-“

“NO!” They all jumped when Bucky yelled it. Steve’s eyebrows furrowed and he immediately looked guilty. Bucky ran his fingers through his hair, looking down. “Never again, okay?” He shoved away from the table, standing up. “Don’t even joke, Steve,” he said in a soft tone as he took his bowl to the sink, then walked out, not even stopping to get more coffee.

Steve jumped up and went after him. He caught him in the hall. “Buck. Buck. Bucky,” he grabbed his elbow, nearly running into Bucky when he stopped and instinctively pulled his arm away. Bucky sighed turning to him. Steve bit his lip, eyes wide. “I’m sorry, Buck. I was just teasin’ you. I didn’t mean to-“

“I know,” Bucky said with a sigh. He groaned and curled his hand around the back of Steve’s neck, pulling him into an embrace, foreheads together. “I know you didn’t. I didn’t even know I’d get all worked up like that.” He smiled when Steve blinked and his ridiculous eyelashes tickled his cheek. “I just- I hate knowing that I almost killed you, and I’m fine normally, but you talking about hitting you… I just remember punching you over and over. I barely remember that shit but I remember that. I was gonna crush your head with my fist, and it fucks me up thinking that anything could take the me out of me enough I’d ever think about it.”

Steve raised his hand and stroked Buck’s cheek. “I’m so sorry,” he said, brushing his lips against Bucky’s. “Love you.”

Bucky smiled, letting his eyes fall shut. “Love you, Punk. Always and forever.” He moved and laid his head on Steve’s shoulder, hugging him close. “Sorry I yelled.”

“Please, you may not hit me, but we both know how to shout at each other until we can’t talk the next day,” he joked, voice rumbling against Bucky’s chest. “You’ve been yelling at me since we met, I’d be freaked out if you stopped now.”

Bucky got an idea and turned his head far enough to blow gently on Steve’s ear, making him yelp and shiver, then shove Bucky away. “I hate it when you do that-“

“Yeah, why do you think I do it?” Bucky asked, dragging him back into a sweet kiss. “You’re so ticklish about your ears,” he said, reaching out and Steve yelped, smacking his hand away.

“No you don’t-“

“C’mon, Stevie, lemme touch your ear-“

“No!” Steve laughed, jumping back. Bucky started forward again and Steve turned and ran, laughing when Bucky broke into a run after him.

“JUST A LITTLE BIT!”

“Ahhh, no!” Steve laughed, running around a corner, his laughs echoing in the halls as Bucky gave chase, the previous tension averted.

~

Bucky grabbed his phone out of the pocket of his Captain America pajama pants – courtesy of Tony, as a joke, but put to good use cause Bucky found it hilarious – when it dinged, only to nearly choke on the toothbrush in his mouth when he read the message. He spit out toothpaste and turned to the shower where Steve was bathing. “Holy shit, I just got offered a modeling contract.”

Steve yanked the curtain aside, sticking his head out. “You _what_?!”

Bucky nodded, leaning back against the sink, toothbrush in one hand, phone in the other. “Yeah. Apparently I’ve got ‘the look’ or some shit. Pepper forwarded me a message she got from an agency interested in hiring me for some advertising work. Apparently I’ve got the face to sell cologne,” he said, shrugging in a ‘what can you do’ manner at Steve.

Steve blinked hesitantly. “Well… do you _want_ to be a model?”

Bucky looked down at the message, biting his lip. “Well… I did want to get a job,” he said, shrugging some. “I mean.” He looked up sheepishly. “You think it’d work out? I’m not- I’m not the average model. And people think I’m a terrorist.”

“You weren’t charged with it, so it doesn’t matter what they think,” Steve defended firmly. He smiled. “Hey, you know I’ve always thought you were gorgeous. Maybe they just have eyes and know that sex sells, and a gorgeous guy like you makes all the customers tingle,” he teased, winking.

Bucky snorted. “Wow, graphic thought. I make them ‘tingle’. You’re such a freak, Steve,” he accused, turning back to finish brushing his teeth.

“Hey, I’m just callin’ it like I see it, and I see the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen up close,” he called as he ducked back into the shower, closing the curtain behind him. “It’s all up to you, Bucky. If you wanna be a model, you be a model. I’ll stand behind you one hundred percent.”

Bucky felt a rush of excitement at the prospect of having something to do that was _his_ , not Avengers related or SHIELD mandated. He looked down at his phone and sighed, tapping it against his chin before putting it back in his pocket. “I think I might call them back. I’ve been feeling sort of cooped up lately anyways.”

“Whatever you want, Bucky. Your choices about your life is the most important part to me. Hell, I wouldn’t care if you decided you wanted to become a cab driver. I just want you to do what you want,” he called and Bucky rolled his eyes, fighting the butterflies in his belly at how sincere Steve was being.

Bucky rinsed and spat, putting his brush away, before walking over, tugging the shower curtain aside, and grabbing Steve by the neck. He tugged him half out of the shower and kissed the shit out of him, hard and fast and _sincere_. “You are the best thing to ever happen to me, and I swear to God, I never deserved it,” he said, grinning as he reached in the shower and slapped Steve’s ass before shutting the curtain again and bouncing from the room to make the call.

He was already dialing Pepper back when he heard Steve finally manage to find his words and offer a confused, “Uh, okay?” in the shower.

~

Bucky had gone to the meeting with the agency alone. He had been offered company by almost everyone, but the whole point was to try and live his life, not continue to be taken care of. After speaking for a little while with a man about his availability and being reassured that they did not in any way think he was a terrorist and that they weren’t trying to dupe him into anything, Bucky finally asked what he’d wondered all along.

“I guess my main confusion is that I’m not exactly model material. I mean, I’ve got a metal prosthetic arm for one thing,” he said, waving his left hand.

Mr. Clark nodded, waving a hand. “It’s not something we’re that concerned about. Either we can photoshop it to look like normal skin, or it works with the aesthetic we want,” he said simply. Bucky raised an eyebrow skeptically and Mr. Clark continued. “James, for you we have two main looks in mind. You have the classic handsomeness, this Paul Newman-esque face, with the great jaw, the cleft chin, the nice lips, and the very intense eyes. Because of that, your hair really is all the difference.” He gestured to Bucky’s messy ponytail. “Messy ponytail, tee-shirt, jeans, and boom, you’re the ‘rode here on a motorcycle’ bad boy that’s good for selling certain products. Alternately, a neat ponytail with your hair pulled back straight, slacks, and a collared shirt and you’re suddenly a wealthy European on his way to his yacht, great for selling a totally different range of products.”

Bucky chuckled. “So like two for the price of one, huh?” he joked. “Where does the arm fall into that?” he asked.

“Photoshop it to look like your right for the put together, wealthy European look, or leave it and have it treated as you would a tattoo sleeve or piercings for the bad boy. Especially since the whole point of this type of modeling is to catch consumers’ attentions initially so they think ‘oh, wow, that guy’s hot’ and then while looking, they’re exposed to the product being sold. It’s a whole different strategy than fashion modeling. Your arm definitely catches attentions.”

Bucky tilted his head, nodding. “Yeah, not arguing with you there.” He looked down at the paperwork and nodded. “Well, lemme hold a pen and we’ll get started,” he said and Mr. Clark beamed.

“Excellent. Welcome aboard, James. I’m sure this is going to go excellently.”

~

Bucky’s first ads started showing up on signs all over the place, billboards, at bus stops, in train stations, and Pepper even bought a few magazines that had some of his ads in them to show everybody. He blushed some when Natasha raised an eyebrow at him and said, “Damn, Barnes, I didn’t know you had the confidence in you to make those kinda faces at anybody besides Steve.”

Steve teased him mercilessly about giving the whole world a preview of his ‘bedroom eyes’, but it was clear everybody was proud of him for finding a real-world interest. He didn’t necessarily need a career, but having something to do besides hang around the tower, go to his therapy sessions, and occasionally go out with Steve was definitely good for him. 

For the first few photoshoots he did, they all involved him keeping his clothes on. Long sleeve shirts and photo editing his hand to be skin tone kept him from the most noticeable recognitions. When he’d been faced with charges after turning himself in had all included him with a beard, bags under his eyes, and signs of serious distress to his every feature. And in the photoshoot with Clint, what most people paid the closest attention to was his arm. So it took a while for anybody to realize that the man in the ads was the same who had been in the photoshoot with the Avengers a while back. And when they did, it drew quite a bit of attention, but otherwise it wasn’t a big deal.

It was only after a photoshoot for men’s underwear in which he was naked except for a pair of briefs, standing in front of a white wall with the light shining down on him, his head tipped back and eyes shut, hair hanging damp and wavy, that everybody got a really good look at his arm – that they hadn’t bothered to photoshop, other than to clean up the scars on his chest - and started to really make a fuss about the fact that the _Winter Soldier_ was now modeling and in all sorts of outdoor ads all over the city, as well as filling the pages of everyone’s favorite magazines.

Steve snorted when he noticed that someone waiting behind them in line at Starbucks was surreptitiously taking photos not of him, but of _Bucky_ , and turned to him with a grin. “Never thought I’d live to see the day I’m dating a supermodel,” he teased and Bucky laughed in surprise.

“Oh shut it, it’s just a job, I’m not a supermodel, Punk,” he said, shoving him in the shoulder, though his ears were a little red.

Steve shrugged, giving him a disbelieving look. “Tell that to the teenage boy taking stalker photos of your ass a few people back,” he said and Bucky turned around, eyes wide, only to see the kid in question go wide-eyed and duck back behind a large guy that was in line in front of him.

Bucky turned back forward and blinked at Steve. “Huh.”

Steve just smiled and knocked their arms together. “My boyfriend, the supermodel,” he teased, earning a shy smile. Steve gave him a warm look, brushing his fingers along the back of Bucky’s hand between them. “I’m proud of you, Buck,” he said so sincerely that Bucky couldn’t help the dorky grin that graced his lips.

“Yeah, yeah, I know you are,” he muttered dismissively, turning his wrist to catch Steve’s hand and curl their fingers together, giving a squeeze of affection as he did.

~

Bucky snorted when the girl he was supposed to be modeling with kept slipping because she was supposed to be leaning on his chest, but he’d been oiled up until he was practically as slippery as ice. “Can’t I just put my hands on the floor beside him?!” she snapped, glaring at the photographer. He and some of the others turned away to discuss changing the pose, leaving them sitting. She sighed, pushing her hair back from her face as she sat up straight. “Jesus, I’m sick of sitting on your lap – no offense,” she added and Bucky cackled.

“Trust me, Darlin’, I’m getting tired of it, too. I’m stuck to this floor at this point. My back’s going to have the grain of the wood marked on it.” He winked. “Besides, it’s been a long time since I had a lady on top of me, if you know what I mean.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Damn, so many hot guys, so few straight,” she joked.

He stretched his arms over his head, back cracking as he shifted. “Don’t get me wrong, I used to love it, I’m bisexual, but I’ve been with the same man for so long I don’t even remember what sex with a girl was like.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you _that guy_?” she asked, nodding at his arm. “The one that hangs out with the Avengers?”

He grinned. “Yeah, that’s me.”

She lowered her voice, looking excited. “Oh my God, is it _him_?” She nodded at the ‘tattoo’ on his arm.

He wiggled his eyebrows. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he teased and she grinned.

“No shit! Aw man, you’re so lucky. I saw him across a restaurant once. Those _shoulders_ look even broader in person than on TV,” she said, sighing dramatically. “What a girl wouldn’t give to just touch ‘em.”

He glanced around and lowered his voice. “It’s just as nice as you could possibly imagine,” he whispered and she snickered, doubling over so her hair brushed his face.

“Is he as cute in person as he looks on TV? With the big blue eyes and everything?” she asked.

“Oh man, you have no clue,” Bucky said, grinning. “He’s gorgeous. So beautiful. He’s got a smartass little shit side to him, but he’s such a great guy. Gorgeous and kind all in one. He can be kinda annoying when we argue, he doesn’t let go of his side of an argument easy at all, it’s like pulling teeth to get him to admit he’s wrong, but stubborn as a mule doesn’t counter how kind and caring he is.” He smirked. “Or how hot he is.”

She hummed. “What was he like before… well, you know.” She rolled her eyes. “Before.”

He smirked. “The exact fuckin’ same, just even more likely to die cause he did stupid shit than he is now. Being little didn’t do shit to stop him trying to pummel the biggest jerk on the block.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Man, if only every guy that ended up under me had as good of a story as you.” Bucky burst out laughing, laughing so hard he had to grab her legs to keep from knocking her off of his lap. She just smirked and winked at him exaggeratedly. 

When they finished up, he called to her when they went their separate ways at the door. “Hey, what was your name again?” he asked, and she smiled as she looked back at him.

“Shaquira,” she said, and Bucky nodded, smiling.

“I’m Bucky, if you were wondering,” he said and she smiled.

“Maybe we’ll work together again, Bucky,” she said and he nodded.

“Hope so, Shaquira.”

~

It turned out he and Shaquira did end up working together again, and this time they exchanged numbers. It was fun having a friend of his own, not just Steve’s friends becoming his friends. He loved all the others, sure, but somebody he’d met at work and talked to about non-Avengers things, and who he sometimes met up with for coffee or lately, for yoga, was a nice change.

It wasn’t like you could talk hair products and reality TV with Tony Stark.

After several weeks of hanging out with Shaquira and six months working as a model, he got invited to a party Shaquira’s friends were having – all other models – and she encouraged him to bring a friend. He knew Steve was the obvious choice, but he was worried that showing up with Captain America might sort of overshadow everybody else, and when he talked to Steve about it, Steve seemed to get it.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to come with me,” Bucky said, looking across the bed at Steve, eyes wide with worry. He didn’t want Steve to think he was trying to edge him out of the picture. “I’d love for you to meet some people and hang out with us, but I just-“ 

Steve cut him off, reaching out to grab his hand. “Bucky, c’mon, I get it.” He squeezed his fingers. “I’m kinda recognizable when people bother really paying attention and I don’t want your friend to have her party turned into a ‘oh look, Captain America!’ sideshow. Besides,” Steve said, grinning. “I’m still not great with small talk. I’d end up smiling a lot and letting you do all the talking for me. I never did like parties.”

Bucky snorted, nodding. “Very true.” He looked at Steve for a moment. “Sooo, who should I bring? Do I know anybody I can bring? Thor would be fun, but he’s off planet this weekend.”

“Clint?” Steve suggested. “He’s got that laid back vibe. He’d probably get along great with a bunch of models.”

“You think?”

Steve grinned. “Yeah, just don’t let him get drunk and start doing knife tricks,” he said and Bucky snorted, rolling over to sling his arm around Steve, pressing his face against his shoulder. Steve kissed his head, eyes falling shut. “I’m so proud of you for getting out there and making friends, Bucky.”

“Hmmm, yeah. I’ve come a long way from following you around like a duckling like I did for the first few weeks, huh?” he asked, and Steve smiled against his hair.

“I never want you to think I don’t want you, but you being independent is so good for you.”

“For you, too,” Bucky said. “It’s not healthy to have to watch after me all the time. Getting out of your hair some gives you time to focus on taking care of you.” He chuckled. “I know how hard it can be to worry about yourself when you put somebody else first all the time, it feels stupid to care about yourself when the person you love is the one who needs your attention, so I understand why you devote so much time to me. But it’s better for us both when we don’t get too caught up in taking care of the other.”

Steve nodded. “I love you more than anything in this world, and I’d give every second of my life to taking care of you if I had to, because I know you did the same thing for me when I needed you, but I always felt so guilty taking up your time so I know you did too for a while there. But we’re both okay now.” He brushed a kiss to his temple. “We might never be ‘better’, but we’ve both come a long way. You being you and me being me won’t ever stop us from being us.”

Bucky smiled sleepily against Steve’s arm. “Damn straight.”

~

Shaquira kissed Bucky’s cheek when she answered the door and met him. “Hey! Come on in.”

“Hey,” he said, taking of his scarf as he walked in. He gestured to Clint. “This is my friend Clint. Clint, this is Shaquira,” he said and she smiled and leaned over to kiss Clint’s cheek as well.

“Hey, Clint. I didn’t think Bucky actually had any friends,” she joked, taking his jacket to throw into the pile on the table beside the door. “C’mon, you can meet everybody else.”

“Ha, I like you,” Clint said, following her. “Anybody that gives Bucky a hard time is my kinda person.”

“Oh yeah?” she asked, grinning. “You’re gonna love everybody else, then, cause anybody that’s worked with him likes to tease him about how old he is next to all of us early-twenties kids,” she said, flashing Bucky a grin. “Over thirty, so sad.”

Clint gave her a dramatic look. “Heeeeey, I’m forty, don’t do that!” he complained and she looked him over.

“Damn, dude, you look good for it. I’d have figured early thirties like Bucky,” she said and Bucky shoved her playfully.

“Yeah, yeah, keep callin’ me old, just remember which one of us has a hot as fuck boyfriend and which is tragically single,” he pointed out and she sighed dramatically.

“Life is so unfair,” she said as she pushed open a door and a chorus of ‘Hey, Bucky!’ went up from some of the others in the room. Bucky smiled to himself as he and Clint walked in and Shaquira’s introductions started up. It had been a long time since he’d been social and it felt so good to go to a party with people he knew and a couple of friends and just have a good time. 

It almost felt normal. 

~

By the time the evening calmed down some, to the point that most of the new people had left and as for the rest, they were all just lounging around the living room talking, Bucky was pleasantly tipsy and he could tell Clint was well on his way to being full on hammered. 

“So you were the one in Bucky’s first shoot ever, right?” one of the guys that Bucky had worked with, Jason, said. “The Avengers shoot where Clark saw him and decided to hire him to work with us.”

Clint nodded, head mostly rocking on Bucky’s arm where he lounged against Bucky’s side. “Yeah, man. Nobody had any clue it would end in Bucky getting a _modeling contract_ ,” he said, giggling at himself. 

“Really?” Shaquira asked. “I thought that was the point of you doing it?” she asked Bucky.

He shook his head. “No way. I just tagged along to laugh at how much they all hate photos and interviews. I wasn’t supposed to be in the shoot.”

Clint giggled again. “My best friend and me were supposed to do a thing together, like, one where we were both topless and my arm was blocking her boobs and we were all sensual and shit, but she was all ‘no way in hell am I posing like that, you didn’t make any of the other guys do it together, why should me and him do it?’ and me and Bucky were making fun of the poses they wanted me and her to do. My husband was visiting and mostly we were just trying to make him laugh. Then the guy doing the shoot saw us and went full on ‘OH GOD I NEED THIS!’” he cried mockingly and Bucky cracked up, nodding.

“It was exactly like that,” he confirmed, taking another sip of his drink.

Mason rolled over on the floor, lifting his head as he looked up, eyes unfocused. “Whoa, wait, did you just say ‘husband’ and ‘visiting’ in the same sentence?” he asked, looking very confused.

Kari whistled from where she was sprawled across Shaquira’s lap. “Duuuude, you’re married?! Are all you people gay?!”

Clint snorted, turning his head to snicker into Bucky’s arm. “Nah, just three of us,” he said, before frowning. “No, wait, I’m gay.” He poked Bucky in the face. “Him and his boything are both bisexual, right?” Bucky nodded and Clint patted his cheek. “Yep, they’re bi.”

“Back to the visiting husband thing,” Mason said, and Clint nodded.

“Yup.” He shrugged. “We’re married, but we don’t live together. It’s not a big deal for us.”

“But how?” Kari asked, frowning. “I mean, I don’t live with my boyfriend, but we’ve only been together like six months, and I still miss him when we don’t see each other because of work.”

Clint shrugged. “I go between living in Brooklyn and Manhattan, but my husband travels for work a lot, and most of the time, he’s in California. We’ve been married for almost nine months now, but it’s all good.” He smiled a dopey-drunk smile. “A little space can’t screw this up.”

“How the hell do you think that?” Mason asked, frowning. “Living apart doesn’t make you worry all the time if there’s somebody else? I’d be worried as hell.”

Clint shook his head. “He’s a fifty-two year old guy that’s in project management and we pretty much have loved each other for the better part of twenty years. After the shit we’ve been through to get to the point where we finally said ‘fuck it, let’s skip dating and just get married’ less than a year ago, I’m totally confident it’s all good.” He held up his left hand, looking at his gold wedding band. “I fell for that guy a loooong time before I was an Avenger. It’s not like he married me cause people know who I am,” he said with a sappy grin.

“Ew, my dad’s only forty-six,” Mason said, and Clint groaned dramatically.

“I’m so _old_.”

Bucky snickered, patting his head. “There, there. Technically, I’m like a hundred or something. It could be worse.”

Clint poked him in the ribs, pouting. “Shut it, you.”

~

Clint and Bucky were both still drunk by the time they got back to the tower pretty late. Clint tripped on the rug getting out of the elevator and Bucky held him up, shushing his drunken laughter, though he wasn’t’ doing well not giggling on his own. Bucky was a little tipsy, but Clint was pretty damn drunk.

“Oh God, I haven’t did this in a long time,” Clint said, arm slung around Bucky’s shoulders as they walked down the hall. 

Bucky grinned devilishly. “I’ve never seen you drunk before,” he said and Clint laughed again.

“I don’t drink unless there’s somebody I trust around, and I don’t drink when I’m like somewhere totally public, like at Tony’s events,” he said. He looked down at his watch. “Oh hey, it’s still early enough I might could get lucky.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “Your husband’s halfway around the world.”

“Webcam, my friend.” Clint wiggled his eyebrows. “Lemme tell you, webcam sex is way better than just rubbing one out in the shower.”

“I’ll take your world for it,” Bucky said, shoving at Clint when they got to the point they went their separate ways. “Fuck, I bet I can totally still get some. Stevie’s probably not asleep yet,” he realized and Clint gave him a leer, wiggling his eyebrows dramatically.

“Hell yeah, man, perfect end to a great night!” he called, already heading down the hall. “Thanks for inviting me,” he called and Bucky waved.

“No problem, Dude.”

Bucky got to his and Steve’s apartment and only fumbled a little with the keys on his way in. He wasn’t drunk, not like Clint, but it had been a long time since he drank enough to actually feel something for more than a few minutes. As he walked through the living room, he kicked off his boots and shrugged off his jacket on the way to the bedroom. He was quiet walking in, in case Steve really was asleep, but he was pleased to see him sitting on top of the covers, doing something on his tablet. Bucky shut the door behind him and Steve looked up.

“Oh hey, Bucky. Have fun?” he asked, eyes dropping back to his tablet, and Bucky smirked as he pulled off his shirt and walked over to the bed.

“Yeah, it was great,” he said as he crawled across the bed. He plucked Steve’s tablet out of his hands and Steve looked up in surprise, only to roll his eyes when he saw Bucky’s face.

“Really?” he asked as Bucky pushed him back against the headboard and crawled onto his lap. He sighed into Bucky’s kiss, but made a sound of contempt when Bucky reached down between them and pressed the heel of his palm against his crotch, rubbing just enough to make his blood start to rush south. “Buck, Bucky, you’re drunk,” he murmured against his lips, reaching down to grab his wrist.

“So?” Bucky asked, moving to press his lips to the curve of Steve’s jaw. “I’m not too drunk to get it up,” he said, pressing his hips down against Steve’s to prove it.

Steve groaned. “Bucky, I meant maybe we shouldn’t. In the morning-“

“Rogers, I was drunk the first time I had sex with you, are you seriously sayin’ you don’t want-“

“No, I’m saying I was drunk then, too, we were both drunk, and now I’m not.” Steve pulled back some, looking at his face. “Not too long ago, you weren’t really in any position to make choices for yourself, and I don’t ever want you to think I’d take advantage of you being anything less than clear-headed.”

Bucky rolled his eyes and groaned. “Steve, Stevie, for fucks sake, I’m not some guy you just met that’s too drunk to say no. I’m a little drunk, very slightly drunk, I can’t even get ‘too drunk’. And either fuckin’ way, I’ve spent the past fifteen years – being me at least – fuckin’ nobody but you. The fact some assholes fucked with my brain shouldn’t mean you have to question whether or not I want to suck your fuckin’ dick, Rogers.” He glared at him grumpily. “I’ve made you come hundreds if not thousands of times, Punk. I’m not gonna fuckin’ change my mind suddenly, and definitely not when I’m the one trying to get in your damn pants. If you don’t want me to blow you, just say it,” he said with a shrug. “But if there’s one thing you can fuckin’ trust, it’s that if I come onto you, I _want_ to touch your dick, it’s not some stupid brain shit that’s lingering.”

Steve chuckled, smiling. “Well you _sound_ like you know what you want-“

“Steven Grant Rogers, can I put my mouth on your dick or not?” Bucky asked and Steve snorted and laughed, shaking his head.

“Yes, fine, have at it,” he said and Bucky gave a huff.

“Praise Jesus, now take off your pants,” he ordered and Steve grinned as he shimmied out of his sweatpants as Bucky fought his way out of his own jeans. 

Steve was still trying to untangle his arms from his shirt by the time Bucky got his mouth where he wanted it.

~

Bucky was late to breakfast – Steve was still in the shower – but it was clear Clint had just got there too, so he didn’t feel so bad. “Good morning,” he said and Clint shushed him, hand over his eyes.

“I’m too old to drink like that,” Clint whimpered. “So. Hungover.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “I figured you would be when I got a call from Coulson asking me to sneak into your room and leave you Aspirin and water. Still no idea how he just knows these things about you,” she said, shaking her head. “He has a ‘Clint did a dumb thing’ sense.”

“Oh no, that’s probably the webcam sex,” Bucky teased and Clint groaned.

“I can’t believe I told you about that,” he sighed. He smirked (as best he could looking miserable) and wiggled his eyebrows. “Worked, though.”

Bucky cackled, shaking his head. “You’re a freak, man.” He grabbed the cereal and milk and a couple of bowls and spoons to pour himself and Steve some. “I’m shocked at your age and with that much alcohol in your system you could get it up.”

Clint scoffed. “Oh please. I’ve had sex in a hospital bed being pumped full of heavy duty drugs before. A little booze is nothing.”

Natasha snickered. “Don’t tell Coulson about that. He’ll get jealous.”

“Probably,” Clint agreed, taking a sip of his coffee. “Maybe I’ll tell him next time we’re together, so he gets jealous enough to let me blow him with his suit still on.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “You and your obsession with that damn suit-“

“It’s hot, Natasha, you’re just a total freak and don’t notice how hot it is.” He laid his head on the table and groaned. “Jesus, how’re you so perky this morning?” he asked Bucky, who smirked.

“Super soldier. I didn’t get as drunk as you even if I drank the same. I can get a little drunk, though. Steve can’t even drink enough to feel it.” He smirked even harder. “Well, he was feeling _something_ last night, but it wasn’t booze.” Both Natasha and Clint made ‘ew’ noises, which only made him laugh at them.

“Oh no, I hear evil Bucky laughter.” Bucky turned and greeted Bruce and Tony with an evil grin. Tony looked at Bruce. “Oh great, he’s relapsed, we’re all gonna die.”

Bruce chuckled. “Either that or he said something dirty.”

“The latter,” Natasha said, making a face.

As if on cue, Steve came in, hair still wet from the shower. “Good morning,” he said in a light, cheerful tone. Clint groaned at how loud he was and he just chuckled. “Wow, you look like shit,” he said and Clint glared.

“Yeah, well, not everybody can look as bright and peppy as you in the morning, Cap.”

Bruce looked Steve over. “What’s got you all peppy? Did you have an extra great run or something?”

Bucky leered at Steve as he slid into the seat beside him. “Oh he didn’t go running today,” he said, and Steve blushed, looking down at the cereal Bucky had already fixed him. Bucky winked at Bruce, who rolled his eyes. 

“So I was right, that’s why you were being all creepy smiles like a crazy person,” he said and Bucky blew him a kiss.

“Why, you wanna join us next time?” he asked and Steve rolled his eyes, turning a glare at Bucky.

“Bucky, stop that,” he said, and Bucky gave him a smirk.

“Not what you said last night.” Bucky leaned over and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “Or this morning.” He kissed further down his neck. “Or in the middle of the night-“

“Jesus Christ, how much sex do you two _have_?” Tony asked incredulously.

Steve snickered into his bowl, head ducked. “A lot,” he admitted and Bucky slung an arm around Steve’s shoulders.

“My jaw still hurts and I’ve got a super soldier’s stamina,” he said, and Steve snorted.

“My back’s killing me,” he agreed and Bucky pressed a kiss to his jaw again.

Bruce gave them an alarmed look. “I didn’t know you could _have_ a sore back,” he said to Steve, who looked up and smirked.

“Normal circumstances, probably not, but I doubt anybody has ever studied two super soldiers goin’ at it all night,” he said, and Clint groaned, head still on the table.

He pointed vaguely at them and turned his head to the side. “You’re just as bad as him, I don’t know why we all still fall for the innocent act.”

Bucky gave him an overly bright grin. “I haven’t been fucked that good in at least a few months, lemme tell you, there’s nothing innocent about Steve Rogers, hasn’t been since the day he was born. Never had a problem tellin’ it like it is, or going for what he wants.”

Steve chuckled around his spoon, giving Bucky a goofy look as he chewed. “Such a jerk,” he said after swallowing and Bucky grinned smugly.

Bucky started on his second bowl of cereal and Natasha shot him a look. “Jeez, did he knock you up or something?”

Bucky gave her an amused look. “Pretty sure even Nazi experimentation can’t do that. Besides, you eat just as much as I do, you got something to tell us?” he asked her mockingly and Bucky jumped when Clint jerked so hard he knocked his coffee cup – thankfully empty – over and it rolled until the handle caught it. He raised an eyebrow at Clint, who looked at Natasha worriedly.

Natasha gave Bucky a very closed-off smile and shrugged. “Nazi experimentation might can’t make you can get pregnant, but KGB experimentation can make it so I can’t,” she said and Bucky dropped his spoon, paling.

“Oh shit, I’m such an asshole,” he said in a rush and she made a face, nose scrunching.

“Oh don’t freak out too bad.” She gave him a look. “It’s not like I ever _wanted_ kids. Can you imagine me as someone’s mother?”

Steve gave her a heartbroken look. “Yeah, but… it should be your choice,” he said in a small tone and she nodded.

“Yeah, but it’s okay. It’s not like I wanted children and can’t have them.” She gestured to herself. “Sterilization was part of the protocol to make sure pregnancy never occurs to keep from fucking with their half-assed super soldier chemical treatments. Also, can’t have a pregnant assassin. That might make fighting harder than usual. And with the high chance a fifteen year old girl could get raped in the line of duty, it was a serious risk.”

Bruce groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Jesus Christ, the more I hear about the fucking Red Room, the more I want to find somebody involved and let Hulk smash them,” he said and Natasha gave him a warm look that had Bucky glancing at Steve and elbowing him to nod their way.

“Thanks, but me and Clint took care of them a long time ago,” she said, and Clint nodded grimly.

“I went AWOL from SHIELD about a year after I joined up,” Clint said. “I was barely eighteen when I was sent to take Natasha out, but when she let me catch her, I couldn’t kill her without finding out why she wanted to let me. Then she convinced me to let her finish her mission.” He gave Natasha a smile. “You told me ‘you can come with me so you can kill me when I’m done’.”

Natasha grinned. “And then we spent three months going all over Europe killing the bastards involved.”

Clint nodded. “Then Coulson caught us cause we stopped running and didn’t trust me again for another two years,” he said, giving Natasha a playful glare. “Always said you’re the reason it took me twenty years to get him to marry me.”

Natasha shrugged. “You volunteered. Admit it, you enjoyed it.”

“Fuck yeah I did,” he said harshly. “If I’d had a partner when I was scared and running from my ‘masters’ when I was sixteen, I’d have found them and killed them slowly.”

Bruce looked at Clint searchingly. “What do you mean? I thought SHIELD picked you up from the circus because you were a master marksman?”

Clint shook his head. “I was wanted for a bunch of heists. Some guys at the circus were doing heists and got me involved when I was fourteen. Two years later, they killed a guy and shot me to try and leave me so I’d get arrested and not them. SHIELD got me out of juvie after I turned evidence on them for a juvenile sentencing rather than adult prison. I was about to go to real prison because I’d kicked the shit out of a guard who kept groping me when they patted us down and shit.” He smirked. “Long story short, the suit that came to get me and have the guard arrested was kinda cute and after he was the one to offer me a job at SHIELD, I had a little hero-worship going on.”

Natasha snickered. “Clint’s living proof that stalking your crush might one day result in marrying them.”

Bruce chuckled. “I’d definitely not tell that to the grandkids some day,” he joked.”

Bucky hummed, tapping his lip with his spoon. “I wonder if I’m sterile,” he mused. He glanced at Natasha. “I know they did a lot of shit to my body. No idea what though.”

She glanced at Steve and snorted. “Well he’s not knocked up yet.”

Steve rolled his eyes when Clint and Bucky both burst out laughing. Bruce just chuckled and shook his head. “You two are like children.”

Bucky slapped Steve on the back. “Haven’t screwed a girl since before Steve, so no way to tell. They sure as hell never wanted the Winter Soldier to seduce anybody, so I’m fairly sure they didn’t _need_ to sterilize me at least.”

Tony gave him a smirk. “You were doin’ girls before Steve? Weren’t you like sixteen and it the thirties?”

Bucky shot him a look. “You think teenagers didn’t make time in the good ol’ days? And it’s not like there was a lot of ‘em, or that it was necessarily always full on sex. I’m counting hand things,” he said.

Steve gave him an amused look. “To this day, he won’t tell me what girls he got with,” he said and Bucky grinned sheepishly.

“Cause none of them mattered so you don’t need to know-“

“It’s cause at least one of them was a girl I liked, isn’t it?” Steve accused and Bucky bit his lip.

“Now Stevie, would I do that to my best pal-“

“You put your hand up Dottie Thompson’s skirt in the _confessional_ , Bucky, there is nothing you wouldn’t do back then,” he said flatly making Tony choke on his coffee.

“At _church_?!” he asked and Bucky winked.

“Ought to ask Stevie what me and him did in the choir box-“

Steve blushed bright red, dropping his spoon. “You swore you’d never mention that!”

Tony gave him a proud look. “Steve, I’m impressed.”

Bucky smiled at Steve’s blush. “He’s blushing, but that’s just natural reaction. He isn’t ashamed of shit.” He brushed his knuckles along Steve’s cheekbone. “Stevie used to be an exhibitionist,” he said and Steve glared, swatting his hand.

“Don’t you dare-“

“He talked me into having sex in his sleeping bag about six feet away from the fellas during the war,” Bucky said and Steve groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “And when we were in our early twenties, we did it in a movie theater once,” he said, grinning at Steve’s blush.

Natasha glared at him. “You were that much of an exhibitionist and you wouldn’t even go on a single date for all those months I was trying to set you up?”

Steve sighed, dropping his head to Bucky’s shoulder. “Fine, jeez, Natasha.” He rolled his eyes. “I’d never do any of those things with anybody but Bucky. I’m pretty sure with anybody besides him, I’d be a full on ‘lights off, under the covers’ kinda guy.”

“Boring,” she said bluntly. “So boring.”

Steve shrugged. “S’what Bucky’s for. Nothing boring about him.”

“Awwww, Doll,” Bucky cooed, pressing a kiss to his jaw. “I love you, too.”

Steve grinned, turning to meet his lips instead. “You better.”

Natasha just made a face, sticking out her tongue. “Why do I like you, Rogers? So sappy.”

“Cause he’s hot,” Bucky said, winking at her. He happened to glance at the microwave behind her and cursed, knocking his knee against the table in his rush to get up. “Shit! I’ve gotta meet Mr. Clark in an hour! Interview day!” He kissed Steve quickly. “Bye, Sweetheart, I gotta go to work.”

Steve gave him a bright smile and watched as he nearly fell over on his way out. “Bye, Buck. Have a good day,” he called, and Bucky saluted him from the doorway with one last cheeky smile on the way out.

~

Bucky gave a dreamy sigh. “God he’s beautiful,” he breathed and Clint nodded from his left.

“Damn sure is.” He passed the popcorn to Shaquira on Bucky’s other side. “Thoughts?”

Shaquira hummed, studying the screen. “Pretty, but in a very Aryan way. There’s not a single damn person in this movie that isn’t white. Gimme some Denzel to go with all these British white boys.”

Bucky hummed. “I’m not arguing with your point, but you gotta admit.” He smirked at her. “They picked some damn pretty British white boys.”

“I think that one’s America, though,” Clint said. He waved a piece of popcorn. “He’s got brown hair and is on that show with the computers.”

Shaquira nodded. “Oh yeah, I know who that is now. Looks way better with brown hair.”

“Lies,” Bucky argued. He looked over as Steve came in with Thor, Sam, and Natasha from the gym and called to him. “Stevie! Come tell these heathens the gorgeous elf looks better as an elf than how he looks in real life.”

Steve grinned knowingly. “The blond elf king?” he asked Shaquira, who nodded, rolling her eyes.

Clint wiggled his eyebrows. “Bucky’s got a thing for tall blondes.” He grinned over at the others. “Like Thor!” he called so that they could hear.

“What is like Thor?” Thor asked as he and Sam came over to join Steve, standing just out of the way of the TV.

Steve snickered. “Bucky likes tall blondes, and Clint so helpfully pointed out you’re tall and blond.”

Thor chuckled. “Well I have heard a bit about Bucky’s claims that if you died, I’d be his first choice of a replacement,” he told Steve, who gaped, turning to Bucky.

“Bucky!” he cried and Bucky smirked.

“What? I gotta have a backup plan! Wouldn’t you be happy knowing I wasn’t sad and alone after your death, but rather finding comfort in the big, sexy arms of someone you trust?”

“No!” Steve cried. “No I would not be happy knowing you were getting it on with _Thor_!”

Thor smirked, walking over to lean against the back of the couch between Clint and Bucky, letting Bucky lean his head against his arm. “Why ever not? Do you think me unworthy?” he asked and Steve gave him a flat look, standing with his hands on his hips.

“I think you’re both jerks,” he said and Bucky cackled, high-fiving Thor, who chuckled with him. Steve came over and flopped across Bucky’s lap, making Bucky grunt when all his weight hit him. He leaned against Bucky’s shoulder and Bucky turned to kiss his head. “Mmm, you’re comfy,” Steve said, bouncing some with a petulant look. “Your thighs are getting fatter.”

“I told you!” Shaquira said with a teasing grin.

Bucky flipped her off. “Better than your chicken legs,” he said and she kicked him. He jostled Steve some. “And who’re you talking to, your thighs are nearly as big as mine.”

Steve smirked. “Muscle, not fat, sucker.”

Bucky smirked right back. “Yeah? And which of us gets paid to look pretty and which one runs around in tights?” he countered.

“Thought you liked the tights?” Steve purred, plucking at one of his curls.

“Oh yeah, don’t get me wrong,” Bucky said, resting his hand on Steve’s thigh. “I love the tights, but still. It’s hilarious.” He reached up and put a finger over Steve’s lips. “Now hush, I’m watching a movie,” he said in an exaggerated whisper, making Steve roll his eyes but smiled, settling in against Bucky’s shoulder while Thor moved to sit across from them, sprawling in a chair. 

There were only a few minutes of quiet before Pepper came in, waving a package, Bruce and Tony trailing after her. “ [Bucky's interview](http://40.media.tumblr.com/7d8c291e0c1448e5fe09f83800f21581/tumblr_nn3hd1x9aT1r5nx3to1_1280.jpg) was released today,” she called, and Bucky perked up.

“Oh yeah?” She opened the package and tossed him a magazine. “Sweet!” He opened it and flipped to his interview, laying it out on Steve’s leg. Steve braced himself to look down as well, arm around Bucky’s shoulders.

Steve grinned, tapping Bucky’s shoulder. “Look at that. ‘James Bucky Barnes: Lost Hero to Hot New Model’. My boyfriend the model,” Steve said softly, making Bucky gave him a sweet look.

Tony – who had for some reason flopped on top of Thor – held the magazine up, turning it to the side. “You can sorta tell your hand is photoshopped to be skin color. Looks like a blob.”

“’S why they always put it on the far side,” Bucky said, clicking his metal fingers together.

“How the hell did they get your hair to look short?” Bruce asked, holding up the copy of the magazine he had so he could look between the photos and Bucky.

Shaquira snorted. “Do you guys never look at Bucky’s ads? They do that a lot. Nothing a good hair guy can’t disguise,” she said. “Hell, these aren’t even the best shots. He’s clothed in them for one,” she joked, making Clint snort.

Steve beamed, warmth shining from him like he was the sun as he looked at Bucky. “I love you,” he said brightly, as if he couldn’t hold it in. Bucky smiled back at him, a warm bubble of happiness rising in his chest. Steve bumped their foreheads together. “I’m so proud of you, Bucky.” He kissed him sweetly. “So fucking proud.” Bucky grinned, reaching up to cup the back of Steve’s head as he lifted his chin and pressed a kiss to his forehead, not bothering to answer with words as he turned back to continue reading the interview, Steve warm and radiating happiness in his arms. 

One thing was for sure. Just like he’d said in the interview, he’d taken his life back, and it was better than he could’ve ever imagined.


End file.
